Political system at local level

Information

Ireland has a local government system. Local authorities include County Councils, City Councils and Borough or Town Councils.

Local Authorities

At county/city level, there are 29 County Councils and 5 City Authorities. These are the main providers of local Government services around the country.

Within the County Council administrative area, there may be a Borough or Town Council area. The County Council may carry out the functions of the Borough/Town Council within its area either jointly or separately with the Borough/Town Councils.

Local authorities at all levels are responsible for the representation of local communities and ensuring that concerns are expressed and needs met. Local elections are held in order to elect representatives onto the authority. Local representatives have the power to vote for or against developments that will impact on the local community.

Local authorities are also responsible for the delivery of a wide range of services in their local area. These services generally include:

• Housing
• Planning
• Roads
• Water supply and sewerage
• Development incentives and controls
• Environmental protection, including rivers, lakes, air and noise
• Recreational facilities and amenities

For more information on local government in Ireland, (for example to find out about elections to local Government, how local Government is organised and how services are delivered), see the section on this site about Local and Regional Government